SHELL BUTTERFLY MAGNETS

You'll need pairs of shells, like mussel, clam, or oyster. For antennae you can use twigs, broom straw, dried grasses, or pipe cleaners. Also get a length of thread, scissors, paint or markers, and tacky glue.
YOu may glue finished butterflies on magnets, barrettes, or jewelry brooch backings, or tie thread around the middle and hang them up. Paint or decorate the shells, with matching designs on each side. Let the swirls and texture of the shells inspire you. Glue the antennae on and you're done.

PINE CONE BIRD FEEDER

You'll need: a pine cone, peanut butter, bird seed, about 12 inches of string, table knife, popsicle stick, shallow pan
Use knife or a stick to spread peanut butter all over the pine cone, being sure to get in between the scales. Put some birdseed in the pan and roll the pine cone around in it til its well coated. Tie string around the end and hang outside from a tree branch.
Or, if you wish, or don't have a pine cone, you may use an empty toilet paper roll in its place. Or cut out corrugated cardboard into shapes - like maybe a cat - and put the peanut butter and seed on this. Then the birds can pick on the cat for a change.

DRIFTWOOD SCULPTURE

While collecting pieces of driftwood from oceans, rivers, lakes, woods and streams, also look for shells,leaves, twigs, moss, stones, etc. Clean the driftwood by rubbing with old rags or brush. Choose flat pieces for the base and build up from ther, gluing securely. Add whatever you like.

STONE CRITTERS

Rinse stones and dry them. Look at their colors, sizes, and shapes for ideas. Use to make paperweights, doorstops, yard ornaments or garden sculpture, refrigerator magnets, knick-knacks, etc. Tiny decorated pebbles can be glued to magnets, pin backs for jewelry, or barrettes. To fasten stones together to create animal ears, arms and legs, tails, etc., dab silicone sealer or tacky glue on stones and hold til set. Use paints or permanent markers to decorate or draw on eyes and such. Glue broom straws or dry grass for whiskers. Old leather scraps make good tongues, ears. Large rocks can be painted like ladybugs or turtles for the garden. Look not only for the entire body of an animal in the stone's natural lines, but also for just the heads of animals such as are easily identifiable by the head alone.

PEBBLE TRIVET AND COASTERS

You need small smooth flat pebbles, quart jar lid for each coaster (like a mayo jar lid), large metal lid for each trivet (such as with wide mouth lids for gallon jars), plaster of paris, acrylic finish or acrylic floor wax
Mix plaster by directions. When it starts to get thick, spoon into jar lids til half full. Select pretty pebbles and press into plaster - you may do so at random, or create a design. The plaster may squeeze up and out of the lid, but it can be wiped away later. Let plaster harden, then use old socks and rags to wipe away any messes. Throw the rags away - they won't come clean in the wash. Brush a coat of acrylic finish or acrylic floor wax on. You may want to glue felt scraps on the bottom to prevent scratches on furniture.

NATURAL WALL PLAQUE (or sit on desk or table)

You'll need a slab of tree bark; assorted decorative items such as dry moss, leaves, seed pods, feathers, cones, shells, etc; tacky glue; thin wire.
Lay bark on work area and decide which side you'll use. Arrange items til you're pleased. You may create an image, such as a bird, or a collage, or beach items, flower arrangement - be creative and let your imagination flow. When satisfied, glue items in place, attach wire to back for hanging. YOu may also nail or glue on a loop cut from a soda pop 6 pack holder.
Instead of a wall hanging, you may use smaller, thicker pieces of bark or wood, or even small branches to make bookends and knick-knacks to sit on tables, etc.

CRAYON REVIVALS

You'll need old crayons,paper cupcake liners, an old clean soup can, muffin tin (used to mold new crayons - if you have something heat-proof that's more suitable, use it), saucepan
Peel the paper off and sort crayons by color. You may blend colors to make different colors if you wish; a list follows this recipie. Pinch top of can to create a pouring spout so the melted crayons pour out neater and easier. Careful with the sharp edge of the can. Fill can about half full of broken crayons. The smaller the fragments, the faster they'll melt. Fill saucepan about half full of water and heat to boiling, then turn temp down to medium or lower. Put the can of crayons inside the saucepan so that the hot water melts the crayons, instead of putting them on direct heat - which is dangerous. Crayon wax, and all types of wax, is flammable, so its very important not to apply too much heat. This is like using a double-boiler, but the crayons would ruin the pan they melt in. The soup can is disposable.
When melted, pour into wax paper inside the mold or muffin tin. Pour about 1/2 inch in each. You may add swirls of a different color to this, or, wait til its cooled and set and then add another layer, different color.
Candy molds can be used instead of the tins, as can some old make-up tubes and containers. Look around, be creative.
COLORS TO MIX:
ADD WHITE to any color to lighten it - the more white you add, the lighter the color.
WHITE plus RED = PINK RED plus YELLOW = ORANGE
RED plus BLUE=PURPLE BLUE plus YELLOW=GREEN
YELLOW,BLUE, and RED= BROWN
Mixing these in varying amounts creates different shades. Out of the three primary colors of blue, yellow, and red, the combinations of colors is amazing=all the colors the human eye can see are created of these, plus white.
RED plus BLUE = PURPLE

CRAFTS, CHILD APPROPRIATE: PINE CONE OWL STRUCTURE

small pine cones, felt scraps, glue and scissors, small branch, tin can with pebbles and soil
For each owl cut two 1-inch circles from felt for the eyes. Make a center in the eye by gluing smaller circles of felt or using marker. Add a little upside down triangle beak. Decorate a can and fill with soil and/or pebbles. Insert base of branch. Several little owls look nice glued to the branches. be careful working with tin can not to cut yourself. Crimp down the edges and/or cover with fabric or something similar in decorating the can to cover the sharp edges to prevent cuts.

CRAFTS FOR KIDS: PEANUT PEOPLE

peanuts in the shell, fine tip felt markers, glue, scissors, bits of stuffing, feathers, sequins, scraps of fabric, googly eyes, tiny puff balls, and similar items you like.
Some peanuts make wonderful babies, some tall, others chubby, round folks. Draw details on face and clothing with markers. Add scraps for clothes, hats, robes, capes, etc. Glue on bits of embroidery thread, puff balls, or feathers for hair. Use bits of cotton for beards. You can make family groups by gluing several nuts to a piece of driftwood or bark-looks great on a bookcase. Use a nail to poke holes in the body for arms and legs using pipe cleaners or twigs. Use tacky glue or hot glue gun. Of course, be sure you help your child, only allowing them to do what's appropriate for their age group.

SWEET DREAMS PILLOW- how to make

Place inside a pillowcase 1 cup dried flower petals (recommended are chamomile, apple and/or orange blossom, lavendar, rose, jasmine, gardenia. Any will do though, as long as its fragrant), 1/2 cup dried mint (any type mint will be fine), 1 tbsp crushed cloves (ok to use cloves from the spice section of grocery if you need), 2 pieces of closely woven fabric (to prevent fine herbs from getting through) about 6" x 6", needle, thread, scissors, ribbon or lace for trim (optional), large bowl to mix herbs.
Gently mix herbs and petals in the bowl. With outsides of fabric facing each other, sew pillow together, leaving 1 side open for turning and filling. Turn right side out and fill with herb mixture. sew closed. Decorate if you wish, as you wish.
You may, of course, make this in any size you like, increasing or decreasing the herbs and petals. it may be placed inside a pillow or pillowcase as a sachet. The pleasant aroma will often help one fall asleep faster, sleep better, and/or have pleasant dreams, by stimulating relevant areas of the brain, on which scent has a strong effect.